Control Formulation for Flexible Structures Using Physical Coordinates

Abstract A procedure for calculating feedback gain matrices for the control of lumped parameter models of flexible structures is developed, using partitioned matrices. This method is based on modal control, but unlike previously published modal control methods, does not require the uncontrolled equations of motion to decouple. The resulting feedback gain' matrices fulfill damping and stiffness design of the controlled modes while maintaining partial decoupling of the controlled modes from the uncontrolled modes. The advantages of this method are that the gain matrices are calculated in physical coordinates, which increases insight into the design process and allows the control gains to be used directly. The use of partitioned matrices reduces the number of calculations that are necessary to obtain the gain matrices. In addition, several decoupling conditions in the presence of control are introduced and discussed